Feel Good Hearty Granola Bars

May 20, 2014Angela (Oh She Glows)

by Angela (Oh She Glows) on May 20, 2014

I’m already starting to think about how I will fuel myself (quickly) after the little bambino arrives this fall. I’m not one who functions well with long periods between meals, so planning in advance is going to be my best ally. The healthier and more balanced, the better I‘m sure I’ll feel. Bring on the healthy, hippie foods, I say! In addition to freezer friendly meals – like veggie burgers and balls, chili, soup, falafel, enchiladas, pasta + pesto sauces, burritos, etc. – I hope to prepare snacks in advance that I can individually wrap and store in the freezer. Things that I can toss into my purse or quickly unwrap when I need a boost will be so handy. Amidst uncertainty, it always feels good to have a back up plan (even if my reality will be take out food more than not).

These lightly-sweet granola bars are a great option because they are only sweetened with bananas and sweetened dried fruit. No sugar crashes here! You could even remove the dried fruit if you really wanted to, but I love how the dried cherries provide a pop of sweetness throughout. But it’s not what the bars don’t have – it’s what they do have. How about hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, rolled oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, banana, and more. These wholesome bars are crunchy, hearty, and chewy in the best way possible. And super filling thanks to the balance of protein, fibre, carbs, and healthy fats. One bar clocks in at 6.6 grams of protein and almost 5 grams of fibre (you can see the complete nutritional info in the recipe below). If you wanted to boost the protein even more, you can increase the hemp seeds (and maybe reduce the sunflower seeds a bit).

For even more staying power, try spreading on some nut or seed butter (with chia seed jam to make it a party!) or even a bit of coconut oil. That’s never a bad idea. Is it snack time yet?

4.9 from 58 reviews

Feel Good Hearty Granola Bars

Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free

By Angela Liddon

Hearty, soft-baked, and chewy, these no-sugar-added granola bars will fill up the tank and keep your energy stable. Feel free to play around with the mix-ins, as the recipe is quite adaptable. Also, if you’re feeding a nut-free crowd, you can easily swap out the walnuts and almonds for more seeds (or chocolate chips, if you’re feeling wild!). This recipe is adapted from Anjali's Oat Snack Bars recipe, which was originally adapted from Faith's 4-Ingredient Banana Oat Bars.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a large rectangular baking dish (approximately 9" x 13") and line with a piece of parchment paper (with overhang) so the bars are easier to remove.

In a large bowl, mash the banana until smooth. Make sure you have 1 1/2 cups (if you have extra mashed banana, you can freeze it for a smoothie).

Stir in the vanilla.

Place the oats into a food processor (or blender set on the lowest speed) and pulse until the oats are coarsely chopped (but still have lots of texture). Stir the chopped oats into the banana mixture until fully incorporated.

Stir the dried fruit, walnuts, sunflower and pepita seeds, almonds, hemp hearts, cinnamon, and salt into the banana-oat mixture until thoroughly combined. The dough will be very heavy and a bit wet.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish. With lightly wet hands, smooth out until even and uniform. Press down on the dough until compacted.

Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until firm and lightly golden along the edges.

Place the dish on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then carefully slide a knife to loosen the ends and gently lift out. Place the slab on a cooling rack until completely cool.

Once cool, slice into bars. I like to use a pizza slicer as it easily cuts through the dried fruit and nuts. Leftovers can be wrapped up and stored in the fridge for a week, or stored in the freezer for 4 to 6 weeks.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition info is based on 16 bars.* Nutrition data is approximate and is for informational purposes only.

Tips:

* You can omit the dried fruit and sub in chocolate chips (or add a mix of both).

These bars aren't super sweet, so if you prefer something sweeter you may want to add a touch of sweetener.

To store these in the freezer, wrap the bars individually in parchment paper using 6-inch by 12-inch pieces of parchment, then tie with string or tape to secure. Finally, place all of the bars into a freezer-safe zip bag, press out all the air, and seal it shut. Or, you can simply wrap each bar with plastic wrap or tinfoil.

PS- The winner of the Vitamix contest has been announced at the bottom of this post! A big thank you to everyone who took part in the #osgcookbook Vitamix giveaway and to Vitamix for donating the machine. I had a blast seeing all your pictures come in over the past 2 weeks.

I was riding my bike uphill today and had to rush to pick my kid up at kindergarten. Had no time to eat something and was feeling realy weak. I thought a good protein-rich snack would be great right now (thought I was going to fall off my bike before even reaching the top). Guess you read my mind haha. Going to try these. Thanks :-)

I just love your pictures! Ill have to attempt to make these. Here are a few healthy snacks that got me through my pregnancy and the year of breastfeeding- Add the “Jump Start” bar to the list.
inallofhersplendor.com/2014/01/06/healthy-snacks-i-love/

These look delicious! I’m so excited to see how you manage maintaining such a healthy lifestyle post-baby. I know I’m hoping to do the same if/when the time comes for me, but I’m nervous about being able to juggle it all!

Oh this looks absolutely wonderful! Just what I love to eat! I love that you are thinking about fueling your body, and how you and your bambino will feel better the better you eat. As an athlete I have noticed how a small change can make a huge difference. Granola bars like this are so much better than the processed stuff most people have!

I love all of the super healthy ingredients jam packed into one power house of a granola bar. I made your original glow bars for a vegan bake sale the other month and they were an absolute hit and I am sure these will be too!

Definitely do prepare healthy snacks ahead of time! The smartest thing I did during my pregnancy was stock my freezer with soups, chili and other hearty meals for the first post-baby weeks. As tired as I was with my big belly, I was even more tired after the birth and my husband and I were able to eat for almost a month with minimal cooking. It was such a relief. I might add that many of those meals were your creations!

first and foremost …. I adore your recipes so much. I am not vegan, but trying to eat more and more vegetarian foods. Your recipes always work well, taste great, and don’t make me feel that somehow meat has been replaced with high amounts of sweeteners. I honestly think you are one of the best modern cooks going. :)

Good luck with the pre-baby prep. If you are planning on breastfeeding, then remember that breastfeeding actually takes 2-3 times more calories than pregnancy – Alarming number of calories. Pack like a bear getting ready for winter season!

Fatigue? After you give birth all that pregnancy hormone flood will dissappear – including adrenaline; your iron will drop dramatically; and the baby will keep you awake at odd times. I actually got so tired I feel asleep while standing in the foyer saying good-bye to some visitors. Thankfully my husband was able to catch the baby before I passed out. My guest was able to catch me before my head hit the floor. Needless to say, I had a friend come over the next day so I could rest between feedings etc. Pack lots of food so you can use ANY down time to nap/rest/sleep/bathe.

Hi Angela,
I’m excited to try these. I have a question about your jars. What kind are they? I’ve been looking for some jars that just have the measurements but don’t have a bunch of other writing on it. thanks

This look so wonderful and rustic Angela – like the perfect mid-morning or mid-afternoon ‘pick me up’ snack! I can’t wait to try these! I love that you can freeze them in advance for the busy days to come – thanks for the wonderful recipe!

These look delicious!! Do they have to go in the fridge or freezer? We are travelling next week and I would like to make them for the long drives but won’t have access to a fridge or freezer. Thanks :)

This is my first time making them so I’m just storing them in the fridge and freezer right now. I do expect they would stay fine at room temp (just don’t let them get too hot) for at least a few days, but not sure on the timing. Happy travels!

Good idea to stock the freezer with snacks! I personally need to eat way more breastfeeding than while pregnant, and it is very nice not to worry about prepping stuff for awhile after babe is born. I found that people tend to bring over meals, but not snacks (or at least not healthy sustaining ones). Your quick and easy protein bars have been one of my go-tos the last couple of weeks, but I’ll try these next!

These sounds awesome, Ange! I made a similar type of bar over the weekend (more as an experiment to see if the bananas would actually hold everything together) and it worked! Love that you’ve used just sweetness from fruit in here. Perfect one-handed snack for when you’ve got a baby in the other one! :)

I’m actually starting to do my post baby food prep today! I’ve already made an awesome list of your recipes that I’m hoping freeze well. Just wondering how you would freeze the enchilada???
You look great btw! Looking forward to more ideas for the freezer.
Phalyn

I haven’t tried it yet, but I do remember readers saying they froze well. Might be worth checking out the comments in that post! If I was going to do it, I would probably freeze the enchiladas with the tomato sauce (but not the avocado sauce – I’d make that fresh) and cover it very well with foil and then put a tight lid on the dish. There’s probably many ways to go about it though!
Have fun with your food prep!

Thank you for a recipe that doesn’t need nut butter!!! I’ve been looking for one that can be easily made for my kids lunches which have to be nut free – and sun butter is really hard to find where I am (not to mention expensive!). I can easily sub the walnuts and almonds for something else. (But make as is for when we are at home!)

These look fantastic! Can´t wait to try them! Just wanted to check how vital the hemp seeds are to the overall bar and amount of protein? I can´t buy them where I live (and can´t get them shipped here, either) so would it be ok if I substituted them with more nuts and seeds? Thank you!!!!!

Ooh lala! These look super yummy!
I’d like to thank you, Angela, for being such an inspiration. Making delicious healthy vegan food is a huge passion of mine, and since I started following your blog, I’ve been wanting to capture my own food. But taking a photo with a shitty camera often feels like an insult to my food… Today I finally bought a good camera and can’t wait to learn how to use it properly and start a new adventure!!
I looove your blog <3 Thanks for teaching the world that vegan food (and saving animals!) can be fun and absolutely gorgeous!!

I made these first thing this morning after seeing your Facebook post. They were quick and easy and delicious. I didn’t have dried cherries in the house so added some raisins and dried apricots. I also switched up the nuts a bit and added Hazelnuts and Pecans instead of the walnuts purely because I had a few left so good to use up.
I have to admit to having to get a chunk of them into the freezer because we ate so many this morning that I had to stop myself!

These sound great! Just wondering how well they stay together. I often find when I have tried recipes like this, if they are not kept in the fridge or freezer, they fall apart. Would love to take them on a hike!

aww congratulations! I’m pregnant as well and just made your moroccan veggie burgers to freeze for when the baby comes! They were delicious! Just today I was thinking about snacks I can make and then you post this! Wonderful, i’ll give them a try! Thanks!

This looks amazing Angela!
So great for you to plan ahead for those busy days and make these to freeze! ;)
I am actually doing the same thing!
I am due any day now, and let me tell you it’s not just food for those busy days…. but, let me be frank and just tell you our hospital food sucks!!
Even if I wasn’t on a ‘specialty’ diet, food is completely processed with expiration dates when our kids will graduate from university! It’s scary in there!!
I wish this wasn’t the case but I’m prepping for the hospital stay and freezing foods for a quick grab when the time comes (maybe even tonight) :)

Good luck to you Angela! You look amazing and best to you and your growing baby ;) xoxo
ella

These look sooo great except I dislike banana very much. I still want to make them but what could I sub out for the banana. I tried to search for your ” original glow bars” in the recipes but with no luck. Can you send/post a link if that recipe is banana free?
Thanks

Wow These granola bars look amazing. Can’t wait to taste. I think they will make they’ll be perfect for a snack when I am in school. But do you think I can substitute the hemp seeds with something else? Maybe more sunflower seeds and pepita seeds?

Hello,
From what I understand, the little seeds, such as hemp and sesame, are too small for the digestive system to break down. They’ll pass through whole, and thus their important nutrients and oils won’t be released and absorbed – unless, I suppose, one is a really good chewer. So to receive the most, I whiz my seeds through a spice grinder before adding them to my muesli and protein bars.
Has anyone else heard this to be the case?
Best wishes all,
Angie

Perfect! I took on a gardening job this year (that I LOVE) and I was thinking yesterday I’m okay if I get a little hungry but once the restaurant opens and I smell fried food or maybe something way better … I’m going to need snacks! (And a cold one but that wouldn’t be appropriate ha ha.)

i love this idea and have been looking for something like this. could you please suggest something other than bananas. i know they are a great source of potassium and healthy sweetener but i’m just not a fan. Thank you.

I made these last night and they are wicked good!!! They taste kinda like a dense-nutty-seedy banana bread. And if anyone’s wondering, you can totally skip the step of pulsing the oats, if you hate doing dishes as much as I do!

P.S. I forgot to ask, how do you usually store these, and how long do they last? I was thinking of making some to send to a friend of mine whose baby is due in June, but I want to make sure they’ll keep. Thanks!

these look wonderful! I recently got your cookbook and I’m so excited to try some of the recipes. I have made the kale salad, took it to a potluck and it was a hit. When I have too many ripe bananas, I peel them, cut them in chunks and put them in the freezer in a ziplock bag, use for smoothies or anything needing ripe bananas.

I’m SO hoping to get outside more this summer, taking hikes and bike trips, even last-minute ones, so we need to have some good trip food in the freezer ready to go … just like these!

Also, just wanted you to know that so far, my 18-month-old LOVED the chia power donuts and the quinoa-broccoli-cheesy wraps. (I also have a picture of her at Christmas with a lentil-walnut-mushroom ball in each hand :-) ).

I made these yesterday for a trip this weekend. They are amazing! And so easy, I highly recommend that anyone try them! I used dried figs instead of cherries, hazelnuts instead of walnuts, added coconut. Thanks for all you do for the vegan (and beyond) community! You’re amazing! I’m also making the chia bread for our trip. Thanks again!

A quick heads up! Something that I wish I new BEFORE I started preparing freezer meals and snacks for when our bundle of joy arrived – make sure u do research on what you can and can not eat once your liitle bandino arives. Things like chocolate, garlic, onion, broc, cauli, bell peppers, kale, cukes…all that awesomeness will give your little cutesy bad gas pains throughout the. My best advice (not that u need any) is to cut those out of ur diet for the first three months until the baby has developed more and is able to digest more. Even though it is all coming from breast milk is it still too hard on their little tummies. So bizarre I know! And very hard to do. But life is so much better then your little cutesy isn’t crying! Trust me. So your days with have to be filled with simple salads and bland main courses!

Angela! I absolutely love your cookbook! I ordered it a few weeks ago, and so far have made these bars (or the very similar ones in the book–which my co-workers LOVE), the marinated balsamic maple tempeh, broccoli and cashew cheese quinoa burrito, potato-avocado salad, tomato basil pasta, creamy tomato soup, hummus, apple and pear baked oatmeal…and many batches of the almond milk and various smoothies. Everything is SO GOOD! Even my non-vegan friends rave about your recipes.

Thank you so much! You make being vegan so much less boring…and DELICIOUS!

I feel like you read my mind! I picked up a bunch of ingredients in hopes of making granola bars this week and then you posted this wonderful recipe! These were so good, just the right amount of subtle sweetness and so nutritious. Perfect for an energy boost. They reminded me a little of Go Raw live bars. I love the way you dressed them up with parchment paper and string. One day I will take the time to make them fancy, but I have a feeling this batch won’t last long enough for me to tie them up ;) These will definitely be a staple granola bar recipe in my house! Thank you!!

@Angela – What do you use to cut the bars? I think I remember a pic of you using something like a pizza cutter, but I tried mine and it did not work. I’m assuming you uses a tool that’s more heavy duty.

I made these last night and they are awesome!
Thanks Angela!
After trying these I don’t think I will ever buy a granola bar again :) And they are easy and fast to make.
I added 1tbsp of maple syrup since I wanted them a little bit sweeter and I used dried figs instead of cherries. It came out great!

These look amazing Angela! I’m going to spend Memorial Day weekend this weekend, making these to have to snack on while I’m recovering from knee surgery. I have a nephew who is an avid outdoorsman, certified Naturalist and vegetarian, I had to email this recipe to him so he can have these on his long backpacking ventures. I emailed the recipe to him immediately. Oh and btw, I have ordered several of you books and given them as gifts to my veggie and vegan friends and family. They’ve all absolutely loved the recipes and tried them. I love the book and have one myself. Thanks again!

These look fantastic, Angela! I love the ingredients you chose, but most importantly – that these are health-packed! I can’t stand how many ‘granola bars’ there are these days that are laden with added sugar. They’re more like candy bars than anything else! Yours look so hearty and I love how many speckles of color there are.

Good Morning Angela,
Hope you are having a great day. My kids are sensitive to oats. I’ve tried the gluten free and organic and still react. Can you suggest a replacement for oats that would give kinda the same texture of a granola bar? Thank you and keep well. MIlena

These sound great and exactly what I need with a busy toddler!!! I was actually going to make some from your cookbook, but I might start with these now ;). I totally can’t wait for the day when I have a space big enough in my kitchen to line the shelves with nuts and seeds in mason jars either!!!

I just made these and they turned out great! They’re a little delicate, not to the point of falling apart but I wouldn’t carelessly throw them into a bag. I used flax seeds instead of hemp since that’s what I had. I never thought to use bananas as a binder in granola bars, genius!

Good for you for thinking of freezer meals for after baby arrives. I had three babies in three years and finally learned with the last one to have the freezer stocked with meals. I actually had 6 weeks of meals in the freezer with the last baby and it was heaven. I was always famished after giving birth and while breastfeeding.

Also stock your pantry with quick foods and ingredients for snacks -coconut oil and coconut butter, nuts, nut butters, dates, dried fruit… whatever you like to snack on. One of the best things I did was take my husband to the grocery store with me before the baby was born. That way when I handed him a list, he was familiar with the store and which brands we usually purchased.

I commend you for preparing BEFORE the baby. I have three boys – ages 10, 6, and 4. I am trying to switch to a vegan diet while also cooking the meat they crave. It’s very hard for me to prepare meat but I am not sure what to do! Nonetheless, thanks for this recipe! I know I can get them to eat a granola bar. :)

I made these a couple of days ago and I LOVE them! The sweetness is perfect and not to over the top. I used dried cranberries & almonds in mine instead of the walnuts and cherries and it was fabulous! I even shared them around my office.Thanks for a great recipe!

What an amazing way to get nuts and seeds into kids! I just made these and they aren’t even cool yet and my 2 and 3 year olds (and me) are devouring them! They don’t normally eat nuts because of texture so this is wonderful! I made them as written except I had a blend of hemp and flax vs. hemp only. These would be amazing with chocolate chips. You are a genius! Thank you so much.

Thank you so much for this recipe! I did use it as a starting place, simply because I adore really in-your-face spicing. So I tripled the cinnamon, added a 1/4 tsp of fresh ground nutmeg, added some fresh ground star anise (1/8 tsp) and 1/8 tsp of cardamon. I also doubled the vanilla, added a scoop of peanut butter and ground 1/8 cup of ground flax seed, as well as two tablespoons coconut oil, as well as 1/4 brown rice syrup.

I was making these for my husband’s take-to-work breakfasts and just need to pop up the calories/spice and protein a little.

Anyway, even though I did adapt it quite a bit, I am so thankful for your base recipe. It never would have occurred to me and they are perfect for serious fuel. I love all of your food and just genuinely appreciate your site. The bars turned out great, by the way, and the house smelled amazing. Thank you again.

I made these bars last week and they are absolutely delicious! I added in chopped dates and substituted any of the nuts for seeds (pumpkin and sunflower). They freeze very well and they are perfect to keep in your purse in case hunger strikes. Thanks for the great recipe Angela!

Just made the Glo-bars after making a batch of the present bars. To change it up a bit I omitted the cinnamon, added carob chips instead of vegan chips (very expensive), and grated orange rind. It gives the bar a nice summery taste of citrus. We love these recipes especially during our workouts in preparation for our upcoming half Ironman. Thank you!!

I wanted to make these granola bars, but didn’t have all the ingredients so I had to change it up. I replaced 3/4 cups of bananas with natural crunchy peanut butter, I replaced the cherries with dates and added 1/2 a cup of applesauce. Turns out THEY ARE AWESOME. Thank you for the inspiration!

Seem to be unable to get Hemp Seeds in Australia. I know you’ve mentioned sesame seeds as a substitute, but would chia seeds work too? Also seem unable to track down dried cherries, was thinking Goji Berries as a sub, what do you think?

I made these today and they were such a winner Angela, I replaced half walnuts for hazelnuts and replaced cherries with dried cranberries and added 1 tbsp brown sugar (though it still wasn’t as sweet as I was aiming for). Everyone loved it and I’m DEFINITELY making these again. Thank you for this. Sending lots of love all the way from Dubai :)

what a great energy bar!
this is exactly, EXACTLY what i have been looking for.
will you do any with quinoa and chia please?
I also love dried cranberries.
could you ensure the gluten free angle is covered as i do get a bit frazzled with my substitutions, you know.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I love that it doesn’t have any added sugar & it introduced me to hemp seeds- something that’s been on my ‘to eat’ list for a while!
I love these bars! I made them almost exactly as posted except I added organic raw cacao nibs & organic shredded coconut. I didn’t have the dried cherries on hand so I used raisins, but I just picked up the dried cherries today so I can add them next time- because there will most definitely be a next time!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I love that it doesn’t have any added sugar & it introduced me to hemp seeds- something that’s been on my ‘to eat’ list for a while!

I’m new to your amazing blog and must say, wow am I inspired! I made these granola bars today with substitutions hoping the banana was all I needed to bind the seeds and dried fruit and it did the trick. These leads me to ask why store bought varieties have unnecessary oils and sugars in them? Angela, you make food seem so simple and easy. Thank you!

I have a question! I made these and loved them. I don’t have parchment paper so I took them right out of pan after cooling a few minutes and wrapped them in paper towels and put them in the fridge. They got really soggy!! Can I leave them out room temperature will that make them less soggy? I’m not sure what to do

I currently have my second batch of these in the oven- they are incredible! As the blog states, they freeze very well, and are great to grab on the go (or enjoy at home ;)) Added bonus: They are also boyfriend-approved (he loves them). If you are reading this and are debating trying to, I highly recommend that you do! Thanks for another great recipe :)

These bars are very delicious, easy and convienent on the go bars, I keep in my freezer take with me as i m running out the door, I love nuts and seeds, and the dried cherries in these bars, very fullfiling!! Just like bowl of oatmeal, with fruits and nuts but on the go instead of in a bowl!! Thanks a million for this delicious receipe!

These bars are very delicious, easy and convienent on the go bars, I keep in my freezer take with me as i m running out the door, I love nuts and seeds, and the dried cherries in these bars, very fullfiling!! Just blike bowl of oatmeal, with fruits and nuts but on the go instead of in a bowl!! Thanks a million for this delicious receipe and the nutritional value it helps alot!

Been excited to make these for weeks, finally did and couldn’t be more excited! Delicious, nutritious, easy to make- they are addicting! Thanks again for a fabulous recipe, your little one is lucky to have such a healthy mama!

Made these last night…delicious! All the oats, nuts, and seeds made them dense and crunchy, and the sweetness of the bananas was perfect for a healthy snack. I used raisins instead of cherries and ground flax instead of hemp hearts since that’s what I had on hand. I imagine this recipe is super versatile and I can’t wait to try other combinations.

I’m going to pop most of them in the freezer so I can stop spending all my $$ on Larabars! Thanks for the recipe!

Made these granola bars this morning and they are fantastic!!!! I put some almond butter on top of my 3rd one amazing! I can’t stop eating them! I can’t wait to stock up my freezer for a quick bite when our little princess arrives!! :). I am going to freeze some of this batch and leave some out to eat over the next few days. Do the ones I leave out need to be refrigerated or just kept at room temperature? Thanks so much for the awesome recipe!!!

Thanks for this great granola bar recipe, you really hit the nail on the head with this one! I can’t get enough of these, they’re a perfect snack at any time of the day. You are one beautiful, creative, and healthy mama to be!

Hi, this looks great, will try it for sure.
One question: I’m leaving with my girlfriend for a week on a road trip and we would like to pack some bars to take with us, also for when we go hiking. Is this suitable to last a few days at outside temperature (let’s say 15-20 degrees celsius)? Previous recipes we made had to be kept in fridge/freezer.
If not, any other options in the website?
thanks in advance.

Hi Angela! I’ve been following your blog for a few months, but this is my first comment! I made your granola bars today after the hubby said he wanted something new for breakfast. Game on!

The house smelled so good once these came out of the oven!! I followed your recipe exact, and they are delicious! Crunchy, chewy, and subtly sweet. Will be making another batch soon (this one won’t last long)! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes! xoxo

This recipe is totally perfect and delicious. I’m making my second batch this afternoon! These bars are a huge hit in this household, thank you. We’ve been working hard to reduce the added sugar in our food so this tasty snack is so so helpful.

Hi there! I was wondering how long these would last both in the fridge and at room temperature? They look really good. Homemade granola bars are my go-to food for school (I’m in university and trying to recover from an eating disorder) because they are easy to eat in that environment and I can make sure they are filling. I think I’d freeze half the batch right away maybe, but would there be a certain amount of time after which it wouldn’t be good to eat the ones I don’t freeze?

I love everything on your site and the second your book came out I ran to costco :D Only thing BANANAS!!!!! My son and I are soooooooo allergic to bananas and I would love to make them these especially because of the nut free option, school being nut free is a bit of a challenge, as well they are garbage free so pretty much everything has to be homemade or throw the wrappers out before you go to school. Anyways to the question bananas Im guessing would help bind these what would you suggest instead of bananas since they are clearly not an option for my little family.

I made these bars earlier this summer and wanted to share that my boss ate one as his pre-race meal before competing in a 1/2 marathon. He had nothing but praise for the amount of energy and lack of mid-way glycemic crash experienced. We chalk his response to the lack of added sugar!
Thanks so much for the recipe! Winner for sure.

Hi Angela (and other OSG followers)!
This may sound like a silly question but I’m pretty new to cooking and not very confident in my skills. As such, I try to follow recipes pretty strictly.
I have a vitamix but am often confused whether I can use that (the dry container) when you say “process” an ingredient…I also have a chopper but I don’t have a “food processor” per say…
If you could clarify the difference or how you use your machines, it would really help me!
thanks so much!

These are wonderful! I mixed up a batch last night for some back-to-school/broke graduate student snacks when hunger strikes at the lab, and they are wonderful. Not too sweet, crunchy from the seeds and nuts, and oh-so-oat-y! I also added in a TB of chia seeds for good measure. Will be trying these with dates and dried coconut next time! I love that the binder and major sweetener is banana…affordable, on-hand and good for you!

I just tried this recipe, and I have to say this is the first one that I have tried from your site that was not outstanding; it seems like there was some kind of binding agent missing; the mixture was very crumbly and did not hold well together after baking (I even added a tbsp of coconut oil & a quarter cup of almond milk, but to no avail). Is this normal

I just made these! I love that they aren’t overly sweet, thats exactly what I wanting. I didn’t have dried cherries or hemp seeds, so I used equal dried cranberries and 2 tablespoons of chia seeds instead. They turned out great, Thanks!

I just made these granola bars. They turned out lovely. I tried baking granola bars before but they went black at the bottom. Making them in a baking dish worked perfectly. And the (unsweetened) dried cherries are the icing on the cake. YUM.
P.S. I found your blog a few weeks ago and since then I’ve been hooked. You have a great style of blogging, mixing personal stuff with recipes and photos. I love reading your stuff and you inspire me to start blogging myself. Looking forward to reading about your new family member in the next few days :)

thank you so much for posting this recipe! i made these for a gluten-free vegan 3yo who needs to take snacks to his nut-free preschool. i used gluten-free oats (whole, btw and they worked just fine), and more seeds in place of the nuts. also added some flax seed. so easy and he says, “MMM!”.

Angela these are fabulous! Mine are barely out of the oven but I had to try some, I couldn’t wait haha and they are perfect. Like a nutty chewy banana bread and they are holding together perfectly. Love that there’s no nut butter or added sugar, I had some bananas going off so it worked perfectly. Thank you! X

I just made these for my boyfriend so that he has nutritious and filling snacks to bring to work. He’s a sweet-a-holic so I added a little bit of maple syrup, and swapped the sliced almonds for sesame seeds. They are DELICIOUS, thank you for this!

These are yummy!!! I made them today, and ate about four of them within an hour. Then I ate another one pre-workout and post workout. The remaining bars are in the freezer. I didn’t have dried cherries, so I substituted dried cranberries. Quick, easy, and delicious!!!

Made these today and they are delish (especially with some peanut butter on top)! Love that there was no added sweetener. I didn’t have any cherries so just used sultanas. Your granola bars are always on rotation in my freezer!

Do you have any banana substitution recommendations? I am highly allergic to them, but love so many recipes with them in it. In shakes and smoothies I use silken tofu, but what about a recipe like this? Any thoughts?

Ok, I might of missed it but how long is the shelf life on these if you don’t freeze them? Also, if you freeze them, how long to thaw out naturally (no microwave) Thanks! BTW, just found this blog today and soooo loving it!!!

I love the idea of these! I always make my own food like bars for energy and can’t wait to try this one. My only question is, has anyone tried to make these in a dehydrator for a raw diet? I tend to use my Excaliber overnight if possible to add nutrition. I’m about to start a very demanding night job and love the idea of taking these to work with me. Thanks so much!

Absolutely delicious! My first time trying an OSG recipe and I love how crunchy and filling they are! I didn’t have dried cherries so I omitted them but added in Enjoy Life chocolate chips as a treat. Thank you!

These are fantastic! Thank you! My husband also loves them (we have such a hard time finding tasty low sugar snacks.) Do you think mashed banana would be an okay substitute for brown rice syrup in your Glo Bars? I love them but I’d like to lower the sugar content a bit!

I haven’t tried, but I don’t think that’s the best idea. What’s holding all the oats and everything else is the banana’s consistency. Apple sauce may cause the whole thing to fall apart. I didn’t use ripe bananas either, but they turned out fine.

This is my second time making the bars. I just love them! I keep them in the freezer (way too lazy to wrap them in the pretty paper and string). I like that they have a touch of sweetness, but not too much. These are a great snack to get me from my morning meal to lunch without feeling hungry!

I’m a terrible chef, but after looking at the ingredients I thought it was fool-proof enough, so I tried it. I completely messed up the measurements and was missing half the ingredients, but they still turned out great! I’m definitely trying this recipe again. Mostly because my family and I already ate the first batch.

Just made a batch to have on hand for our upcoming family trip (3-year-olds are always hungry!!).
These will be the best to snack on at the airport while we wait.
Thank you so much for all the wonderful recipes. Been trying out recipes from your cookbook every day since I received it last week. Love, love, love!!

Wow! I’m amazed at the simplicity of the recipe yet how wholesome and tasty they are. Made it yesterday and I have to say that these are the best granola bars I have ever had. I mixed up the contents slightly based on what I had in the store cupboard. The bananas weren’t overly ripe yet it was still sweet enough. I used half cranberries and half raisins instead of cherries and used a mix of cashews and almonds. Also added some sesame seeds.

I used dried figs instead and they came out wonderful! Incredibly filling and tasty. I sprinkled extra cinnamon on top too, before putting them into the oven, just for good measure. Thanks so much for this recipe.

Remix:
I loved your recipe as inspiration. I didn’t have any bananas on hand so I used 1.5 cups soft dates. Also I put all ingredients into food processor and processed/mixed briefly to get very coarse meal. Pressed the lot into glass baking dish and baked 25 min. Pretty good results.
Thanks!

These are so delicious!! The cherries provided the perfect amount of sweetness.

I made a few alterations because I didn’t have a few ingredients. My pepita seeds were not raw, so I eliminated salt. I forgot to buy sunflower seeds, so I used chopped raw cashews and hazelnuts (happened to have them on hand), and instead of hulled hemp seeds, I used flax seeds. They turned out perfect!! Thank you so much (:

I can’t believe how selfish and simple these are to make. What a great way to get nutritious fats into my diet. I am making them a second time while I type this. My husband loved these. Best granola bars I have ever had in my life.

Hey Angela! I wanted to take these to school with me and wanted the extra boost of protein as well to last me through the day. Is there a way I could incorporate the peanut butter INTO the granola bar? If so how much would I put in? It would like kinda funny for me to be putting peanut butter on my granola bar in the classroom lol! Thanks for the help!

I loved this recipe. They were a little different than the average granola bar, but it tastes equally as yummy. I also put in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. (the kids loved that). One of my favourite things about this recipe is that it doesnt use any syrup or honey. Will be making more very soon :)
Thanks for the recipe Angela!

I just made these, and I followed everything according to the recipe, but mine are kind of dry, in an off-putting way. Any suggestions? Could I add anything at this point to make them a little more moist? Thanks.

I know this post is a little old but I have a question about the dried cherries. did you buy them pre-dried or did you dry them yourself? And what is that process like? Secondly, what if i preferred raspberries or blueberries? My mom is a huge fan of cherries but i never got into them. I definitely love your chia seed jam recipe! I made that a while back and make one like every other week.

Hello! Your healthy granola bars look so good, but I have many food restrictions right now and currently I can’t eat bananas. Do you have any ideas for omitting bananas and what would work well to replace them?

To all the other banana-allergy people — I made this recipe by substituting a mixture of soaked and pureed dates and sunflower butter instead of the mashed banana and it turned out AWESOME. The dates add the perfect amount of sweetness and the nut butter adds some binding qualities

I just made these tonight and I loved them! They have awesome wholesome ingredients, and awesome flavor! I had to use a little applesauce to supplement the bananas because I didn’t have quite enough mashed bananas. Also, I added in two tablespoons of brown sugar, because my bananas weren’t very brown so I didn’t think they’d be sweet enough on their own. I actually found myself eating some of the batter off the spoon before I pressed it in the pan to cook them, and it was even pretty dang good just as a batter :) This was the first recipe I ever tried from your website and I’m impressed. I’ll have to try out more of your recipes!

This recipe looks great for my active toddler. How do you store them if you aren’t freezing them, in the fridge or counter? And how long are they good for both in and out of the freezer. I looked and didn’t see your update on it. Thanks so much!

Hello,
thank you so much for the great recipe, it tasted wonderful.
I just have another question – where are these lovely storage glasses (with the seeds) from?
I want to buy them too. Hope you can help me with this problem – thanx so much.:-)
Astrid

Okay I don’t even know how to express how happy I am with this recipe and how grateful I am that you share your wonderful recipes with the world. For starters, I am severely gluten intolerant, and on top of it have an extensive list of other allergies and intolerances; needless to say, finding snacks (let alone granola bars) is near impossible. A certified gluten-free, peanut-free, coconut-free (need I go on) granola bar just doesn’t exist in abundance on the market (and as a health food lover, some of the ingredient lists in store bought snacks just don’t do it for me). I’ve had so many disappointments in the past making recipes that I find online, but this one is just lovely. The banana makes it sweet but not sickeningly so and the texture is exquisite; I made them today and they totally look and taste store bought quality. Thank you so much for this recipe; I’m new to your blog but I am now a big fan! ^-^

Hi, this recipe is really fantastic,perfect for my school snack
and your photos look amazing! Just one question, what can I substitue hemp seeds with? Thank you so much and soory for my English, I am Italian ;)

Made these granola bars for the first time, and I am delighted to find a recipe that is healthy with all natural ingredients and delicious. A small one inch square satisfies my hunger between meals. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

I made these for my boyfriend since he has a hard time finding a chance to eat breakfast. He LOVED them! He doesn’t like sweets very much so these seemed perfect. I think he ate a whole batch in about a week and a half. I just mentioned making another batch for his hunting trip and he was ecstatic. These are fantastic!

First thing I have tried from your website which I just discovered. I was looking for a treat to take to my pregnant vegan friend for her birthday and ended up making two batches, one for her and one to take to my two U of T offspring. I wrapped up the ones for my friend in the same manner as those in your photos, and they made a lovely looking gift. She was delighted with her special bars and said Oh She Glows is her favourite source for recipes and inspiration. As for my non-vegan but health conscious son and daughter, they texted me to say yum and please make more! I will peruse your wonderful blog for more ideas because I’m dealing with empty nest syndrome by putting together care packages for my busy students. Thanks so much for the great recipe!

How do these come out? Crunchy, chewy? And are they very banana-y or is the banana flavor more subtle? (I have picky kids. One likes bananas, one doesn’t, one like crunchy bars, one like chewy – I can’t win)

We made these yesterday in a triple batch for Ronald McDonald House since they are trying to have healthy snacks for their residents. We added a bit of maple syrup for more moisture because the bananas weren’t quite enough and we didn’t have extra. They were a huge hit with all the bakers so we hope the residents will appreciate them as well. We also made your roasted chickpeas to give them some variety other than sweet things all the time. Thanks for a great recipe!

Thank you for all the wonderful recipes. I use your OhSheGlow’s cookbook ALL THE TIME. I went to make Glo Bars yesterday and discovered I didn’t have Brown Rice Syrup, I tried to use honey instead, which didn’t work :( So I made the mixture into Granola instead, just baked it in the oven for about 40mins at 270. When life gives you lemons…..

On my maiden attempt this afternoon I took a few shortcuts by buying a low carb nut mix that had all the ingredients replacing walnuts with cashews and dried cranberries instead.

I blended everything and its turned out ultra dense – like a 3 to 1 ratio of that eaten-a-snack feeling compared to store bought bars and looks more slicey than a bar-ey, extra cup of oats and banana to boot…

I made this bars today and I like them so much that I just had to leave a comment – something I’ve never done before, no matter how much I’ve liked a recipe! :) These granola bars are super simple and fast to make and taste AMAZING. I’m always looking for easy, healthy and tasty snacks and these bars are perfect. I’ve never been a big fan of granola bars but I’m already in love with these. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I’ll be making these again and again.

oh my god, i’m making it now, but run into a big question.. since i’m in Hong Kong, not sure the banana size over where you are, is 1.5 cup = chopped banana or mashed banana? I mashed total 5 banana to have approx 1.5 cup mashed content.. and then after mixing the dry ingredients… it feels a bit wet, is this what it’s supposed to be? now is in the oven… umm…

Tried this recipe and LOVED! I am not vegan and am a little picky about nuts, so I added and subtracted a few things. For nuts I used only almonds (but a whole lot of them! and chopped up in the food processor), and could only find pumpkin and shelled hemp seeds, so I also used whole flax seeds. Additionally I added half a cup of almond butter, a fourth of a cup of honey (hence the not vegan comment), and used dried cherries as well as dried wild blueberries. AMAZING! Once I froze them for a bit, cut them up, and packaged them individually and froze again, they were perfect.

Oh my I was so stoked at how delicious this was.
I changed some things as i was experimenting.
added peanut butter, honey, cranberries and i changed up the seeds and nuts to use what I had in the house.

It was so good. I will be making loads more as my husband also loved them and I have now share your blog with a workmate who also loved them. Thanks

Just made these, as expected from reading the ingredients it has a very bland, nutty taste. It’s so bland/tasteless it’s pretty hard for me to swallow. Still a good quality recipe, the bananas held everything together better than I thought they would. I just personally prefer something a LOT sweeter. I think it’s great how healthy these are, though!

These are delicious…I love that there is no sweetener added, the bananas are sweet enough and they’re just perfect. I used dried cranberries because I didn’t have cherries and mmmm…! Quick question, how long do these last on the counter? can I just put them in a cookie jar, or how would you suggest I store them? Fridge? Thanks!

Hi Brigitte, I typically store them in the fridge or freezer, but they stay fine at room temp for at least a few days. They hold together surprisingly well; some bits might fall off but they don’t “crumble” like some do.

I’ve made these twice now and my family loves them. I needed 4 bananas both times, used all seeds (the second time included flax) because of nut allergies, and used raisins because I had them on hand. Looking forward to trying them with cherries. Oh, and I did put a small amount of chocolate chips (vegan) in, as well. Really good. My son wants these now instead of store bought. Thank you!!!

I’m a bar-happy gal, so I’ve tried making a ton of different bars. This recipe has become my go-to. I have made these at least 6 times, probably more. I really appreciate that there is no sugar added to these (although I do add chocolate chips), which is why it has persisted as my staple. I am imprecise about the exact amount of each ingredient that I add, but I make sure that my total number of cups of nuts/seeds/fruits stays the same as called for in the recipe. I also use half oat flour/half rolled oats instead of blending my oats, because I am lazy. And I use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon. I make a double batch at one time, because I am all about power cooking and freezing, so it takes me a whole bunch of bananas (about 8). I like to use a blend of chia seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut shreds, raisins, cranberries, walnuts, almonds and chocolate chips to make a bar that packs a huge power punch! I freeze my bars individually in ziploc bags and take one out every day for my lunch. They freeze great, and are defrosted by the time it’s time to eat. The one thing I have noticed is that the bars tend to turn out a bit dry. I may experiment with adding some coconut oil to my next batch!

Thanks so much for this great recipe! I never write comments, but I just love this one so much. =)

Hey Iona, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a helpful comment! I love your ideas. I had forgotten about this recipe, but I think I’m going to have to make a batch this weekend (or even today!). Enjoy

They came out gorgeous, thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I was looking all over stores/websites for the perfect snack to bring along on hikes and this is it for me. Was skeptical at first with using just banana as a binder. But these bars hold up very well, cuts easily, and is very substantial and tasty!

I was wondering if You have nutritional information for these granola bars? I am trying to find a home made granola bar my mom( who is diabetic) could mak together. 5 g of sugar or less per bar would be ideal😊

Hey Rebecca, This is a tricky sub for sure as the bananas lend sweetness and also binding properties. My guess is you’d have to experiment with a combo of nut butter and a sweetener (maybe maple syrup or brown rice syrup) until you found something that worked. Happy baking!

Thank you for the recipe. I made this for my boyfriend since he tends to skip breakfast and I wanted to make him something that’s on the go. This is perfect in all ways–ease to make, nutrition, and package! I added about 2 tablespoons of honey to add a little sweetness and I’m not a fan of hemp seeds to I substituted the 1/4 cup with 1/8 flax seeds and 1/8 uncooked quinoa. Certainly delicious and I will make this in the future.

I love these and have made them many times! I make a seed only version so that I can send them with my son to school. I use whatever I have around (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes or shreds, sesame seeds, chia seeds) in varying quantities as long as they add up to 2 cups. I also use a combination of dates or raisins and chocolate chips. My husband takes a big bag to work and leaves them in the freezer for snacks. So easy and delicious and these have completely replaced store-bought bars for us. Thanks for the recipe!

Hi Karla, I think the easiest option would be to simply sub in more chopped walnuts, pepita seeds, or sliced almonds for the sunflower seeds (or a combination!). I hope that helps; If you try anything, please let us know how it goes!

Hey Alicia, I haven’t tried this yet, but you may be able to try a combo of applesauce and almond butter instead of the banana. I suggest the almond butter for a bit of binding. I would maybe try something like 1 1/4 cups applesauce and 1/4 cup almond butter. It won’t be as sweet as the banana version so you may want to add a bit of coconut sugar or something to taste. Hope this helps and please let me know if you try anything out!

made these bars this week, and I have to say, they’re pretty satisfying. I made mine with dried golden berries instead of dried cranberries, and the flavor was perfect. Really needs the dried fruit for flavor. I also tried to make chocolate ones, using cacao nibs and some unsweetened cocoa powder (and no fruit). The results were not nearly as tasty. Any thoughts on how to make these with a chocolate flavor without adding sugar?
Also, I couldn’t get tape to stick on parchment paper. Ended up using plastic wrap.
How long do you think the bars will stay good once you take it out of the freezer? I’d like to take these on work trips so that I don’t buy sugary power bars in the airport.

I made these yesterday. I subbed extra hemp and sliced almonds for pepitas, which I dislike, I used dried cherries and threw in about 1/8 cup dark chocolate chips.
From a person who doesn’t really enjoy granola and who is terrible at eating breakfast… I LOVE THIS RECIPE. Not only are the bars delicious, but a 1/16 bar is a good size, is delightful with coffee, and really does fill you up for a couple hours. My new go-to for sure, and one I can feel good about. Thank you!

Hi there I was just wondering how long these would last outside of the fridge/freezer? My brother and I are going on a 4 day tramp and want to make our own bars rather than buy them and these sound delicious! If we kept them in an airtight container for the 4 days would they be okay?

thank you (ps I may have posted the same comment twice by mistake I just wasn’t sure if the first one actually submitted)